A brief reflection on teaching Clifton's "wishes for sons" and the reactions of male students.
A few quick words about parenting sons. The first time I taught this poem at Georgetown, most of the young men in the class were outraged; the young women in the class were delighted, and many were laughing. Together, we discussed the possibility that “wishes for sons” is a loving poem written by a loving mother. Many of the young men relaxed—they got it. They began to see that a woman’s standpoint mattered. One student suggested, in fact, that this poem might be “sex education” for men. I read this poem with each of my sons when they were about fourteen. They still quote it.
English teacher comment that I can’t resist--notice that each
stanza, although beginning with a lower-case letter, ends grammatically with a period!
wishes for sons
i wish them cramps.
i wish them a strange town
and the last tampon.
i wish them no 7-11.
i wish them one week early
and wearing a white skirt.
i wish them one week late.
later i wish them hot flashes
and clots like you
wouldn't believe. let the
flashes come when they
meet someone special.
let the clots come
when they want to.
let them think they have accepted
arrogance in the universe,
then bring them to gynecologists
not unlike themselves.
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